Images: The Week in Pictures

The Aurora Police Department honored seven of it's officers, who along with six firefighters, saved the life of 14-year-old Annie Prosser who nearly drowned in March after the vehicle in which she was riding crashed into a retention pond. Edwin Doepel, left, Erik Swastek, Greg Christoffel, Nicholas Gartner, Joshua Sullivan, and Chris Coronado wait in line for a hug from Annie Prosser while she hugs Jeffrey Hahn.Paul Michna | Staff Photographer

This is the time of year that control burns can be seen at various forest preserves as well as the Morton Arboretum in Lisle. While driving through the arboretum one afternoon, I noticed some of the area was still smoldering after an earlier controlled burn, and it made an interesting photo with the late afternoon light filtering through the trees.Bev Horne | Staff Photographer

Maria Mora of Carpentersville receives a blessing as Francis Cardinal George blesses the staff, patients and families of the new Alexian Brothers Women and Children's Hospital in Hoffman Estates.Bob Chwedyk | Staff Photographer

Cardinal George blesses Alexandra Jones, who was born prematurely, at the new Alexian Brothers Women and Children's Hospital in Hoffman Estates.Bob Chwedyk | Staff Photographer

Francis Cardinal George blesses the staff, patients and families of the new Alexian Brothers Women and Children's Hospital in Hoffman Estates.Bob Chwedyk | Staff Photographer

Dust shivers off a genuine leather baseball as it is smacked by an aluminum bat during a high school game at Wing Park in Elgin recently. Baseball is a game that gives me time to think, and change my perspective. I moved in behind home plate and used a 300mm lens with a teleconverter and a fast shutter speed in an attempt to get the moment of the baseball being compressed against the bat. I was an instant too slow on my many attempts. It occured to me that baseball is the only game that the defense takes possession and control of the ball.John Starks | Staff Photographer

Ginny Smith of Geneva works on preparing her plot at the Community Gardens at Prairie Green Tuesday. Smith, who recently moved to Geneva said that she is planning on growing many things including some herbs on th eplot with the help of her daughter from St. Charles.Brian Hill | Staff Photographer

People gather around a super croc exhibit at the Gail Borden Library in Elgin Tuesday. The exhibit, which has been all over the world, is being shown for the first time at a library with this summer's stop at Elgin. It took two days to assemble the model of the prehistoric creature. The skull on the super croc is six feet long.Brian Hill | Staff Photographer

Junior Maiti Glynn texts on her cellphone while giving blood during a blood drive by LifeSource Wednesday at Libertyville High School. The drive was organized by the student council.Gilbert R. Boucher II | Staff Photographer

Students Emily Perez, left, Martin Lopez, Jonathan Chapa and David Cacores, from John Powers Center for the Hearing Impaired, put donated books on the new shelf at the Countryside Fire Protection District in Vernon Hills. The new and used books were placed in the new fire truck bookshelf built by SEDOL's Cyd Lash School students to promote reading and fire safety awareness.Gilbert R. Boucher II | Staff Photographer

Reflected in her car mirror, Karin Shiderler of Wonder Lake prays with Don Gorder, of Huntley, center, and organizer George Delask, of Country Evangelical Covenant Church In Dekalb. The "Drive-Thru Prayer" service was in the church parking lot at the corner of McDonald Road and Route 47 in Campton Hills, Thursday.Brian Hill | Staff Photographer

Danielle Austin of Carol Stream speaks Friday to Brownie Troop 50877 in Lisle about how she has dealt with her cerebral palsy. She was crowned Ms. Wheelchair Illinois America 2013 in March. She will represent Illinois at the National Ms. Wheelchair America Pageant in Houston in July. She'll be holding a fundraiser on May 19 to raise money for the trip. Her platform is disability awareness.Scott Sanders | Staff Photographer

Fighfighter Bill Ahlman gets a contribution from a motorist on the corner of Palatine and Arlington Heights Roads during the Arlington Heights Fire Department and the Muscular Dystrophy Association annual Boot Drive.Bob Chwedyk | Staff Photographer

Robert Wangles and his stepson Jacob Valade, 3, of Crystal Lake, sit in a 1940 Packard Ambulance used during wartime, while at the DuPage Veterans Foundation fundraiser for Honor Flight Chicago at the DuPage Airport Saturday.Paul Michna | Staff Photographer

Ita Fischer, of Glen Ellyn, distributes mulch to residences along Michigan Avenue in Wheaton, as Wheaton Bible Church volunteers, along with 1,500 other area church members, help clean and landscape as part of CareFest.Daniel White | Staff Photographer

Lilly Sunny, 4, of Lombard, tries to sink a basketball during the Lilac Time Art and Craft Fair in Lombard Sunday.Mark Black | Staff Photographer

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